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Venezuela: Establishment Talking Points Translation Key

Things keep heating up in Venezuela, with possible “military options” now being seriously discussed at the Pentagon. And of course you know what that means! That’s right, it means we can expect to see even more lies and manipulations from the political/media class as the narrative managers try to get their rapey little fingers into our minds to manufacture support for unconscionable acts.

This can create a very confusing environment for everyone, where up means down and black means white and “humanitarian intervention” means “murdering thousands and thousands of innocent human beings”. With that in mind, here’s a handy translation key to help you understand what the establishment mouthpieces are really saying:

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“I stand with the people of Venezuela” = I stand with some of the people in Venezuela, specifically the ones who support US government interests.

“Interim President” = Some guy most Venezuelans had never heard of until January of this year.

“Brutal dictator” = Elected leader who opposes US dictates.

“Usurper” = The guy calling the shots and leading the country.

“Opposition-led, military-backed challenge” = Coup.

“The people of Venezuela are starving” = Oil! Oil! Oil!

“All options are on the table” = One option is on the table.

“Popular uprising” = Unpopular uprising.

“Grassroots activists” = Let’s pretend the CIA’s not a thing.

“Freedom and democracy” = US control of Venezuela’s petroleum resources.

Latest comments

I would add another phrase to the Monroe Doctrine definition, thus making it read: “I believe all the countries on this side of the world are my personal property, along with all the other countries, too.” This seems to be the way the United States government views the world, since they always seem to be interfering in the Middle East, pushing back against Russia, trying to put Iran into a penalty box, etc.

Dutch/May 7, 2019

Still wrong about this. I’ve seen multiple alt new outlets pitching this same narrative this week. They even posted pictures of ‘protestors outside the Venezuelan embassy protesting our involvement’. Which was hilarious. Because if you paused the video you could see that every sign was anti-Maduro. Even as the exact opposite was being reported. Those people weren’t ‘protesting’. They were being restrained from rushing the embassy and stringing up every Maduro loyalist they could find. These are verifiable facts. Say what u want about US Imperialism. Probably none of it will be wrong. But don’t put words in the mouths of Venezuelans. They DON’T want Maduro. He has enough oil money and Chinese support to keep his hold on power, mostly by bribe/threatening the right people. But he is not beloved or trusted or wanted. This narrative is only self serving to Caitlin, 10000 miles away. But it is hurting the real people really being hurt by putting doctrine ahead of reality. I think it’s Imperialism too. But the fact remains that the large majority of Venezuelans would be much better off with Maduro gone. My dad fled Cuba in 1962. We were trying to oust Castro at that time. That was probably some flavor of Imperialism too. But whatever our intentions were, it’s hard to argue that things could have gone any worse for Cubans in the ensuing 50 years under Castro. Get your facts from someone who actually understands the situation. This isn’t an academic case study. It’s a complex reality with no good answer. Distilling it all down to one academic point does a huge disservice to millions of suffering people.

Susan Siens/May 6, 2019

I think what is more critical than oil is the U.S. belief that NO COUNTRY ON EARTH has the right to self-determination. We stole this continent from its indigenous inhabitants and it led us to believe that we have the right to tell everyone else in the world what to do. How dare Venezuela think it is a sovereign nation? Teddy Roosevelt made it clear during the war on the Philippines that Filipinos had no right to their own country (we slaughtered 20 percent of Filipino civilians), that WE had the right to exploit and dominate their country. This mindset is utterly poisonous and utterly prevalent. If you meet an American who does not think this way, consider yourself fortunate.

Dutch/May 7, 2019

Are you sure you know what Venezuelans want? Because it seems to me nobody is more effective at preventing a people’s self determination than a brutal dictator clinging to power. Or do you deny the dozens of historical examples?

weaselspot/May 7, 2019

Maduro is not a “brutal dictator clinging to power”. He won election last year with 70% of the vote. Several international election watcher organizations said it was a legitimate vote. I’m pretty sure the US destroying the Venezuelan economy and threatening invasion is not helping the self-determination of the people. Unfortunately too many people are still addicted to the Kool-Aid of the establishment narrative propagated by the fake news MSM.

John Allen aka Ol' Hippy/May 6, 2019

I missed this column on Medium because I was moving this past week.(I think.) However this snazzy, snappy, translation key gets to the heart of some propagandist talking points. As consumers of MSM nonsense we need some keys for astute navigation through the minefields of ridiculous rhetoric. Caitlin to the rescue with her handy list to keep us away from the most toxic effects that garner our support for another needless blood-soaked intervention. I watched Mike Pompeo “Maximus” yesterday on Fox News Sunday frothing at the mouth to steal Venezuela’s oil. Sickening. We just need to distribute this list far and wide so Americans can see the evil ways of the Emperor and his merry band of psychopaths; ‘Maximus’, Caligula John Bolton and Eliot “Eagle Claw” Abrams. Blood runs off their very being. They need to be stopped. Peace, The Ol’ Hippy

Ľubomír/May 6, 2019

Tomonthebeach/May 5, 2019

The immature conscience is one that bases its judgments partly, or even entirely, on the way other people seem disposed toward its decisions. The good is what is admired or accepted by the people it lives with. The evil is what irritates or upsets them. Even when the immature conscience is not entirely dominated by people outside itself, it nevertheless acts only as a representative of some other conscience. The immature conscience is not its own master. It is merely the delegate of the conscience of another person, or of a group, or of a party, or of a social class, or of a nation, or of a race. Therefore, it does not make real moral decisions of its own, it simply parrots the decisions of others. It does not make judgments of its own, it merely “confirms” to the party line. It does not really have motives or intentions of its own. Or if it does, it wrecks them by twisting and rationalizing them to fit the intentions of another. That is not moral freedom.

Edward/May 5, 2019

phil de/May 4, 2019

don’t mean to be heavy.. but there’s something you should know.. big world leaders.. set to control you.. plan to rule the world.. the arms and weapons are building up.. all in the name of defence.. better dig in to your fallout shelter.. things get really tense.. and who don’t respect international law.. and nobody wins nuclear war.. no blood for oil.. united nations sanctions are a slow way to die.. depleted uranium missiles burning children alive.. suicide bombs and stepping on landmines.. is really blowing them out.. and you just fill up your car with petrol.. and go cruising about.. and who don’t respect international law.. and nobody wins nuclear war.. no blood for oil..

Nate Church/May 4, 2019

Caity, it never ceases to amaze me how you can put my frustrations with our imperial BS into words so brilliantly. We will not have a government we can be proud of until the progressives of the US rise up and demand fundamental checks on the capitalist monster we’ve created. Temporary legislation that can be chipped away as The New Deal has been won’t work. There will continue to be violence, poverty, and environmental destruction until we codify a new human rights movement in constitutional amendments that put clear checks in wealth accumulation. We can have a democracy or wealth accumulation, but not both. Corporate profits above what they invest directly into their own long term resilience should go right into the public coffers. 100% public funding for political party expenditures and campaigns is a must. Make lobbying as a profession illegal. Make private grants to universities to push ideology illegal. Congress members should consult academics for advice not lobbyists. Medical care as a right for all humans is a must. Access to food and shelter for all humans as a right is a must. If our economic system can’t pay for it then let’s evolve it into one that can. We can invent a new economic system that incentivizes hard work and innovation without sacrificing human rights, and it can be written directly into our constitution with a series of amendments. They don’t want us to believe it’s possible for obvious reasons, but it absolutely is and it can be done peacefully thanks to the current constitution we are lucky enough to have inherited. We just need to help our neighbors wake up to the truth.

GaryS/May 4, 2019

GaryS/May 4, 2019

The empire is drowning–from the insurrection from within–and will grab on to anything within it’s reach–which will only hasten it’s decline–we [and the rest of the world] have to eradicate the mad cow virus from within if humanity is to survive–let’s start with the social media titans who are constraining the flow of information and serving as private contractors of censorship. Read Solzhenitsyn’s “200 Years Together” [pdf online] –where he describes the treatment of those in the Gulag prison systems who collaborated with their jailers. When they were very harshly eliminated– the Gulag systems fell apart. We need to identify those who are within our communities who are supporting the usurpation of our liberties–we can then move on to the actual invaders–who have a international web of connections– through-out the planet.

Edward/May 4, 2019

junghi lee/May 4, 2019

look around you. you will find one or two who fled Venezuela after the Bolivarian revolution. they were not farmers or teachers. they were bankers and oil execs who used to exploit Venezuelans and loot Venezuela. same as the Cubans in self-imposed exile in Florida. they are scum of the earth. the US of Israel is a magnet for those thugs and thieves. of course they feel they were robbed by Chavez and Maduro, and they want what they think is theirs back sooner or later. same with Russia where the thieves looted Russia’s weealth and then fled to settle in London. ever since, they have been trying to re-take Russia. nothing new. that’s what the parasites do.

mike k/May 4, 2019

Liars think they are being creative, but you have to be fools to believe the US government about anything. Too bad their phony non-education system has produced a nation of fools eager to believe anything “authorities” put out there. It doesn’t take a genius to fool a nation of idiots.

chucknobomb/May 4, 2019

No Blood for Oil, Or Shut The Fuck Up and get out of The People and Planets way. Join us. Have a nice day :). Support the Embassy Defenders. Free Assange, Manning and too many others. Put a cog in the wheel, at least for the children. Thank you Caitlin & Co..

Ishkabibble/May 4, 2019

jmg/May 4, 2019

Smedley Butler on Interventionism — Excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933, by Major General Smedley Butler, USMC.

“War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.”

Lisa/May 4, 2019

RC - Garrs/May 4, 2019

There’s also the quadriga (Pence, Pompeo, Bolton & Abrams) that are hauling the CIA’s tools in and out of Venezuela and all around South America, Lopez and that other guy whose, as friends point out, name I misspell a lot. I tell them it really doesn’t matter, he’s a nobody anyway.

People should realize by now, half the trouble in the world today is caused by the oil cartels. The other half is caused by religions. We need to shed them both if we want the human race to continue to exist.

“This is a matter of an entire police force, from sea to shining sea, which insists on the gratuitous use of violence and will defend anyone who uses it.” https://twitter.com/caitoz/status/1269450962952810496